True Status of Jesus — Essence of Islam Vol. 3

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon True Status of Jesus, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 6: The Messiah and His Second Coming
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Evidence Regarding the Death of Jesus | Next: Objections Against Jesus »

completed all stages of spiritual perfection, would stay in the house of salvation for a long time. Moreover, according to our belief, God Almighty has promised that those who are admitted to heaven would never be expelled therefrom. It surprises us as to why our divines would want to bring Jesus out of paradise. They relate the tale that Enoch, with the permission of the angel of death, stepped into paradise, and when the angel asked him to come out he refused to do so and recited the verse: 182

still they assert that Jesus will return to earth from heaven. Would he not be entitled to benefit from this verse? Is this verse to be considered abrogated in reference to him?
[Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 3, pp. 147-148]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 210]

I do not deny the high status of Jesusas, despite the fact that I have been informed by God that the Muhammadi Messiah occupies a higher status than the Mosaic Messiah. I hold Jesus son of Mary, in high esteem inasmuch as I am spiritually the Khatam-ul-Khulafa’ in the Islamic dispensation, just as Jesus was Khatam-ul-Khulafa’ in the Israeli dispensation. In Mosaic dispensation the son of Mary was the Promised Messiah and in the Islamic dispensation I am the Promised Messiah; so I honour greatly the one whose name I bear. Anyone who asserts that I do not hold Jesus son of Mary in high esteem is a mischief-maker and a liar. I honour not only Jesus son of 182 ‘…Nor shall they ever be ejected therefrom.’—Al-Hijr, 15:49 [Publisher] The Messiah and his Second Coming 211 Mary but also his four brothers as they were all sons of the same mother. I also regard his two real sisters as holy, for they are all the children of the holy Mary.
[Kashti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 19, pp. 17-18]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 210]

Our readers should remember that in dealing with the Christian religion we have to adopt the same form of exposition as they adopt against us. The Christians do not believe in the Prophet ‘Isa (peace be upon him), who called himself a servant of God and believed in the righteousness of previous Prophets and had faith in the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and had even made a prophecy concerning him. They believe in someone called Jesus, who is not mentioned in the Qur’an, and assert that he claimed to be God and designated previous Prophets as robbers etc. They also assert that he vigorously denied the truth of our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and prophesied that only false Prophets would appear after him. The Holy Qur’an has not directed us to believe in any such person, but has clearly affirmed that anyone who claims to be God shall be consigned to hell. That is why, when speaking of the Jesus of the Christians, we have not spoken with such respect as is due to a righteous person. Had he not been blind, he would not have said that only impostors would follow him; and had he been good and faithful, he would not have claimed to be God. Our readers should not be misled into thinking that some of the harsh words that we have employed concerning him were intended for Hadrat ‘Isa (peace be on him.) They have been written concerning the Jesus of whom there is no mention in the Qur’an or the Hadith.
[Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, vol. 2, pp. 295-296]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 211]

I regret to say that I have had to publish this issue of Nurul-Qur’an in response to a person who instead of referring to our lord and master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with respect, has vituperated him and has, out of his personal vileness, uttered so many calumnies against the Leader of the Righteous and the Chief of the Purified that a pure hearted person trembles at hearing them. In dealing with such a person, we had to adopt a severe tone. I declare that my belief concerning the Messiah (peace be upon him) is an excellent belief. I hold sincerely that he was a true Prophet of God Almighty and was a loved one of His. I also believe, as the Holy Qur’an tells us, that he believed sincerely in our lord and master Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as the means of his salvation. He was a sincere follower, out of many hundred such followers, of the Law of Moses (peace be on him.) I, therefore, give him all the respect due to his to his exalted status. But the Jesus presented by the Christians—who claimed to be God and considered everyone but himself to be accursed, i.e., he considered them guilty of such vices the punishment of which is a curse—is, in my view not entitled to the mercy of God. The Holy Qur’an has not made any reference to such an impertinent and vile tongued Jesus. I am shocked by the conduct of one who believed that God could be subject to death and claimed godhead for himself and vilified such righteous ones as were a thousand times better than him. In dealing with Christians I have throughout had that fictitious Jesus in mind. The humble servant of God, ‘Isa, son of Mary, who was a Prophet and who is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an is not the one against whom my harsh words are directed. I have adopted this method after enThe Messiah and his Second Coming 213 during, for forty years, the abuse which Christian missionaries have hurled against the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) Some foolish Maulavis, who should rather be called blind, think that Christians have never reviled the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) But the truth is that the Christian missionaries are in the forefront of those who refer to the Holy Prophetsa with contempt and defame and abuse him. I have a stock of books by Christian missionaries which are full of abuse of the Holy Prophetsa. And whoso desires can come and inspect them. I declare that I shall henceforth deal respectfully with any Christian missionary who, discarding the method of abuse, adopts a respectful style of exposition. By having recourse to abuse, they themselves make their fictitious Jesus a subject of criticism. We have become weary of their abuse. If someone abuses another’s father, would the wronged one not be justified in abusing the offender’s father? What I have said is not abuse but a fact. 183
[Nur-ul-Qur’an, No. II, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 9, pp. 374-375]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 211]

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Introduction